The present invention relates to a digital image-forming apparatus for image-processing information inputted from a desired external input device through an interface section and for outputting the resulting data to a desired external output device through the above-mentioned interface section.
There have been developed digital image-forming apparatuses functioning as a multi-function apparatus to which a plurality of external input-output devices are connected and which is provided with a plurality of converting functions. In such a multi-function apparatus, it is required to selectively input beforehand a function to be executed among the functions that are available. With respect to the function-selecting method of the multi-function apparatus, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 131140/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-131140) discloses an arrangement in which: scan data of an original that is input data and image files in a hard disk (hereinafter, referred to as HD) are provided; in the case when a facsimile machine (hereinafter, referred to as FAX machine) is equipped, a plurality of input-instructing regions for indicating types of input and a plurality of output-instructing regions for indicating types of output are displayed on the display means; and based upon the combination of an instruction in the input-instructing region and an instruction in the output-instructing region, the function to be executed is selected.
However, the above-mentioned conventional digital image-forming apparatus has the following problems:
In the conventional digital image-forming apparatuses, external input-output devices that were assumed to be connected thereto were generally limited to built-in devices such as a FAX and a HD. Recently, however, there have been ever-increasing demands for connecting to the digital image-forming apparatus recently-developed and widely-used input-output devices, such as portable terminal devices, portable telephones, video cameras and digital still cameras, as well as a device capable of using recording media, such as IC cards, mini disks, SSFDCs (Solid State Floppy Disk Cards) and miniature cards. The attempt for connecting such external input-output devices to the digital image-forming apparatus raises a problem in which: a wide range of combinations of selectable functions are provided by the respective input-output devices, with the result that when these numerous functions are displayed as one lot on the display screen, the contents of operations related to selectable functions become too complicated to recognize. This trend has particularly increased in recent years when high functions of the external input-output devices have been achieved.
Moreover, in order to carry out an image-processing operation in the digital image-forming apparatus to which the external input-output devices are connected, it is necessary for the user to operate both the external input-output devices and the digital image-forming apparatus. Consequently, the user has to understand complicated functions of both the external input-output devices and the digital image-forming apparatus, which tends to cause a maloperation by the user.
Furthermore, when a hierarchical construction is given to the display screen related to selectable functions, the hierarchical construction becomes more multi-layered as the setting items increase, resulting in a problem in which the relationship before and after the setting-value input is not easily recognized.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a digital image-forming apparatus which allows the user to visually recognize and confirm external input-output devices connected thereto and also to promptly carry out operations related to selection on functions easily.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a digital image-forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with:
(1) an interface section to which a plurality of external input-output devices are connected;
(2) a storage section for storing a shape of an operation section for inputting an operation instruction of each of the external input devices connectable to the interface section, for each of the types of the devices;
(3) a display section for displaying a device-selection functional screen through which a device to be selected among the external input-output devices connected to the interface section is specified; and
(4) a control section which reads the shape of the operation section of the selected external input-output device from the storage section, controls the display section so as to display the shape of the operation section, controls the selected external input device so as to carry out the specified operation instruction based upon the shape of the operation section that has been displayed, carries out an image-processing operation on information inputted from the external input device, and outputs the information that has been subjected to the image-processing operation to the selected external output device.
With the above-mentioned arrangement, information, inputted from the selected external input device, is image-processed by the digital image-forming apparatus through the interface section, and then outputted to the selected external output device in accordance with the following processes.
In the display section, the device-selection functional screen is provided. On the device-selection functional screen are displayed a plurality of external input-output devices that are connected to the interface section; and among these, those devices to be selected as an external input device and an external output device are specified. In this manner, the present invention allows the user to visually recognize and confirm the external input-output devices that are connected to the apparatus.
In the storage section, the shape of an operation section for inputting an operation instruction of each of the external input devices connectable to the interface section is stored for each of the types of the devices, and the shape of the operation section of the external input device selected through the device-selection functional screen is read from the storage section by the control section, and displayed on the above-mentioned display section.
In accordance with the shape of the operation section thus displayed, an operation instruction (in the case of an external input device selected, for example, operations such as rewind, fastforward and playback) is specified. Once the operation instruction has been specified, the selected external input device carries out the operation instruction accordingly. Thus, in the present invention, operations, which have been conventionally carried out on individual external input devices separately, can be promptly carried out easily on the digital image-forming apparatus in a centralized manner.
The specified operation is carried out in the selected external input device as described above, and after completion of the operation, the information, which has been subjected to the specified operation, is inputted to the digital image-forming apparatus from the external input device through the interface section. In the control section, after an image-processing operation, preliminarily set by the operator, has been carried out, the resulting information is outputted to the selected external output device through the interface section.